Raise Joan of Arc to be an empress, then discard her.

"I can say with a clear conscience that I have done my job to the best of my ability, and I am not taking my salary for nothing."

“In fact, I have done things beyond my limits several times. I faced you with a sword. For the Obsidian Knights and for the people I care about, I assassinated the king. Although I failed in the end, I had already risked my life. I have done more than most people in the kingdom.”

"Now the wheel is about to fall on my head. Guess what I, as a living being, would do? I would leave this place to avoid being hit by the wheel, and then leave the area that the wheel might run over. I would choose to run away. Fortunately, I am a strong ant. Although I cannot stop the wheel from running over me, I can still leave if I want to."

"Moreover, in my opinion, the reason this ant kingdom has become like this is because there is a crazy ant king who has been going crazy. He is the one who caused the wheels to fall on our heads. I think there might still be a glimmer of hope if we kill him. I have done my best, but you stopped me."

"Let me say this last thing: many years ago I became a knight to survive, and today I do the same."

Aaron turned and left, leaving Akil standing there dumbfounded.

No sooner had Aaron left than thunder rumbled in the sky, and dense clouds filled the sky, as if it were about to rain. Aaron turned up his collar, lowered his head, and hurried away like a passerby seeking shelter from the rain. Akil remained where he was, seemingly oblivious to the rumbling thunder.

The rain didn't fall in the end, and Aaron walked back to the old town. He didn't go to work, nor did he take a carriage back. It seemed that he had forgotten, or perhaps he was too tired to even get on a carriage.

When Aaron went to the palace, he was dressed in a knight's uniform, with a sash on his chest and a ceremonial sword at his waist, looking as if he were going out to receive a medal. But when he returned, his eyes were calm, as composed as the man who went out to assassinate the king that day. However, he looked tired, mainly because of his physical exhaustion.

He returned home feeling completely drained. He desperately wanted to sit down for a while. He knew that Joan of Arc was unlikely to be home; only the Queen and Princess would be there. At this time, the Queen and Princess would be taking a nap on the second floor, while he could rest on the first floor.

He unlocked the door with his key, and before he could even throw it away, he hurried toward his room. But before he could put his hand on the doorknob, the door suddenly opened by itself, and a blonde girl appeared in front of him, wearing a housewife-like apron, but underneath she was wearing a saint's robe.

She was still holding a butter knife in her hand, and her face was covered with white flour crumbs. She looked like she had just been kneading dough and making bread in the kitchen. She looked exactly like an eighteen-year-old girl. She suddenly bumped into Aaron. When Aaron saw the flour crumbs that had accidentally gotten on Joan's face, his heavy heart suddenly felt lighter, like a person in the snow looking up and meeting the sunlight.

"Teacher, you're back." Joan's surprised expression quickly turned into a serene one as she spoke softly.

"Hmm." For some reason, Aaron felt a strong urge to hug Joan of Arc, but he held back because Charlotte was standing next to him.

"Wasn't Lord Aaron going to the palace? Why are you back so soon?" Charlotte poked her head out of the kitchen, wearing the same style of apron as Joan of Arc.

They were making bread in the kitchen, which seemed like a luxury that could only be done before the war, but in reality, they were making bread for the wounded soldiers below the city walls. Because there were too many wounded soldiers entering Asgard, food became a controlled resource, and many bakeries were requisitioned to make bread just to fill their stomachs.

Because there were too many wounded soldiers in Esgard and the bakery was not enough, Jeanne and her companions came up with a solution: to bake bread at home. Charlotte happened to be home as well, so Jeanne asked Charlotte to help.

“His Majesty is very busy and has no time to listen to what I have to say, so he let me leave,” Aaron replied.

"I see." Charlotte was clearly disappointed; she probably wanted to hear good news from Aaron.

"Is the teacher hungry? We just happened to get a bag of flour, so we can make some delicious food while we're at it."

As mentioned earlier, with the army pressing in, money is no longer enough to buy food in the market. Food has become a rare resource, requiring food coupons to obtain. Now, even an apple needs to be allocated.

Flour, a precious commodity, has become a rare item. Even someone of Aaron's status would find it difficult to obtain a bag. However, Aaron was able to get a bag thanks to Joan of Arc, and he even got to eat the flour made by Joan of Arc herself.

"It's alright, you guys do it, I'll just rest for a bit," Aaron said.

Joan of Arc seemed oblivious to Aaron's unusual behavior. She nodded and went to the kitchen to knead dough. They hadn't closed the door while they were making bread, so Aaron could see them from the hall. Aaron then thought of what he had said to Aguirre.

If a wheel is about to fall on your head, what would a typical creature do? It would choose to leave the area to avoid being hit by the wheel and escape from this dangerous place.

This is indeed the most normal reaction for an ordinary person, but unfortunately, the people around him are not normal.

He had received intelligence that the enemy would arrive in Esgard within a month at most.

The seven-nation alliance had not suffered any defeats or encountered any significant obstacles along the way. Their morale was high, and they were advancing triumphantly. Three days ago, the anti-Lucerte alliance announced that if Lucerte did not surrender, they would destroy the entire Kingdom of Lucerte. This was a war of annihilation.

In fact, Aaron was not concerned about his own danger. Even if the enemy army really broke through the gates of Esgard, he was confident that he could leave. He was determined to leave, and no one could stop him. But the question was, did the people he wanted to take with him want to leave?

Aaron watched the girl intently baking bread in the kitchen and suddenly felt both amused and absurd. He had felt this absurdity since Joan of Arc became his student, and now he actually wanted to run away with Joan of Arc? Abandon Lucette? Joan of Arc was a symbol of resistance. If Joan of Arc really ran away with him, would she still be Joan of Arc?

Even setting aside all this nonsense, Aaron still found the idea absurd. Joan of Arc was one of his students, and he knew her personality well. Although she always appeared calm on the surface, he knew how much the fall of Orleans had affected her.

Unlike those who shouted slogans with righteous indignation, Joan of Arc silently joined the mobilization for the war from the very first day she returned to Orléans. She was always trying to find a way to save Lucerne and doing everything within her power. The reason why so many people were able to gather around Joan of Arc was because they felt strength and faith from her.

Joan of Arc, just like in history, has now become a symbol of Lusset. Not only are there a large number of wounded soldiers standing around her, but even members of the three major knightly orders have gathered around her. She herself is willing to become this symbol and protect the country. How could she possibly take the symbol away?

Historically speaking, he should have chosen to support Joan of Arc and help her achieve her justice, but the development of this world is different from history. In fact, the development of this world has long surpassed Aaron's wildest imagination.

In this world, Lucerne is not fighting against a single nation, but against a powerful nation spanning half the continent. Although Lucerne has always been known as the most powerful nation in the world, it is almost certain to perish when faced with the siege of a powerful nation spanning half the continent.

In the simplest comparison of combat power, the Anti-Lucet Alliance has five sword-level warriors, while Lucet only has one Omniscient Sword. Even if the Omniscient Sword is powerful, two fists are still no match for four hands. And everyone can understand that the sword-level battlefield has a huge impact on the war and will almost determine the final outcome of the war.

Although Lucert has so far preserved its strength without suffering heavy casualties, the anti-Lucert alliance has also not shown its true strength. It is obvious that they must have prepared something to deal with Lucert, but they do not know what it is yet.

No matter how Aaron thought about it or how he calculated the strength of both sides, the conclusion he reached was that this was a war that could not be won. No matter how Aaron calculated it, Lusset's chances of winning were no more than 20%, and he still did not know the king's secret or his true purpose. Aaron could not even imagine what would happen to Lusset on the battlefield.

But all around him were people who wouldn't even think of dodging when a wheel was about to hit them. Joan of Arc was like that, Aurelia was like that, and all the important people he wanted to take with him were like that. He himself lived in a den of abnormal people. Thinking about it this way, Aaron himself probably wasn't a normal person either.

Given Aaron's personality, even if he knew he would fail, he should at least have tried, and if it didn't work out, he would say something else. But looking at the girl in the kitchen, focused on making bread, he just couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Teacher? Teacher?"

While Aaron was lost in thought, someone spoke in his ear. Aaron looked up and found a donut touching his lips. Joan of Arc's face was very close to his, as if she was very worried about him.

"Teacher, are you alright? I see you're sweating a lot," Joan asked with concern.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things." Aaron took a bite of the donut; as expected of Joan of Arc's cooking, it tasted absolutely delicious.

"Are you sending bread over there? To the wounded soldiers below the city walls?"

Joan of Arc shook her head: "No, it's for our club members to eat."

"Companions?" Aaron was taken aback.

“Recently, a lot of people have gathered around us. Some are soldiers, some are brothers and sisters in the church, some are homeless, and some are exiled knights. They come from all over the world, but they don’t have a unified name. So Lydia suggested that I start a society,” Joan of Arc said.

Chapter 91 The War Begins

"Lydia?" Aaron had a headache. Sure enough, this kind of thing happened when Lydia stayed by Joan of Arc's side.

“Have her come over here. I have something to say to her,” Aaron said somewhat seriously.

Joan of Arc was startled. Aaron had always been open-minded about Joan of Arc and would agree with almost everything she did, but now Aaron was acting like a rigid father.

"Joan of Arc was an unparalleled genius."

Lydia said this as her first words to Aaron.

“Joan of Arc was leadership material. Although it might not be outwardly apparent, she possessed personal charisma, and her charisma was far greater than you might imagine. Do you know what people call Joan of Arc now? They all directly call her ‘Saintess.’ They are not members of the Church, yet they spontaneously call her Saintess. Looking at the entire history of the Church, very few have done this. We truly believe that she can lead us to the light.”

"Is she really that famous among the people now?" Aaron asked.

"Of course! Don't you see what she's working so hard every day? She takes care of the wounded on the city walls, finds ways to help the poor make a living, and boosts the morale of the soldiers in the barracks. I can say without exaggeration that without Joan of Arc, at least half as many people would have died in Esgard!" Lydia put her hands on her hips, looking like she was determined to fight Aaron, this evil force, to the end.

Seeing Lydia's reaction, Aaron found it amusing, but he still said in a stern tone, "I don't think I need to go out and investigate anymore. I can tell what's going on with her just by looking at you."

"It's nothing. I stood by her willingly because I like her very much."

"Is it because you're disappointed in the king that you're pinning your hopes on her?"

"Say whatever you want."

"You've been making such a splash in Asgard, aren't you afraid of attracting unwanted attention?"

"Are you afraid that other forces will be eyeing us?" Lydia gave him a reassuring look. "I won't say anything more. I'm not the only one who has joined our three major knightly orders. Moreover, as more and more cities are being conquered, knights from other cities are also pouring into Esgard. You can't even imagine how attractive Jeanne is to these rootless knights!"

"That's because it's wartime now, and all the important people are too busy to care about you," Aaron warned.

"So, are you here to oppose us? Are you standing with the big shots? Or are you the big shot yourself, one of those old fogies?"

“I’m not saying I’m against you. Historically, many societies have developed during wartime. By the time the authorities wanted to deal with them after the war, they found that they had already become powerful. War is indeed your best window of opportunity for development.”

"You don't object? I thought you were firmly on the King's side." Lydia said strangely, "People in the society basically don't know you exist. They don't know that Joan of Arc had a teacher. Joan of Arc also kept her work and life very separate and never talked about these things. I thought it was because you objected to her."

“I just met the King today, how can I show my face in front of you? If it weren’t for the fact that I concealed my relationship with Joan of Arc, I would be under a lot of pressure right now.”

"That's strange. You neither support us... nor do you seem to oppose us... So what exactly do you want?"

"Does not supporting someone in your country equate to opposing them?"

“We’re not that extreme yet, but of course I hope you’ll be on my side.”

"Just so you know, Joan of Arc was my student; I taught her."

"But I believe more that it's her own talent."

"Think what you want, I'm the one who unearthed her."

"Are you and Joan of Arc really just teacher and student?" Lydia suddenly asked.

"if not?"

Lydia was speechless for a moment before saying, "In short, you are indeed a very important person to her, and I have always been very worried about your attitude towards her. If you don't support her, it will have a huge impact on her."

"I won't stand in your way. At most, I rationally believe you won't succeed, so it's better to stay away from you for now." Aaron stood up, intending to end the topic.

"There's a memorial service tonight, would you like to attend?"

"A memorial service? When did the kingdom hold a memorial service?"

"It's a grassroots event. Although there hasn't been a proper war so far, many people have already died. It's estimated that tens of thousands of people will participate, all inspired by Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc will be on stage to preside over it. If you want to reveal your identity, this is the perfect time."

"Has it already wielded this much influence?" Aaron's gaze was somewhat unfocused. Although he hadn't intervened, it was becoming more and more like history.

Does that mean she was destined for a tragic end? Or will history be altered?

*

Esgard.

After leaving her home, Joan of Arc put her saintly clothes back on and patrolled the streets.

Because it was during wartime, Joan of Arc wore armor and held the banner in her hand, which gave her a distinctive look. She also kept the blessing in her hand for safety.

But at this moment, Joan of Arc, with a serious expression, asked softly in the outskirts of Esgard, "Is it true?"

"Really, we found this outside."

A beggar-like man handed Joan of Arc a transparent plastic bag. The contents of the bag were not pure; it contained many magazines. However, when Joan of Arc held the bag up to the sunlight, the contents still shone with a pinkish glow.

“Rose crystal…” Jeanne d’Arc said softly. She recognized the substance. Her teacher went to the High Cliff Valley for rose crystal. She remembered that it was very rare. The High Cliff Valley was the only place in Asgard that could produce it. How could it appear in Asgard?

Where did you find it?

“Next to the sewer,” the beggar replied.

Many beggars in Asgard, as well as vagrants who have joined Asgard, have either joined the church or been attracted by Joan of Arc. Since they have no fixed abode and often wander around Asgard, they are the best source of intelligence. Joan of Arc is also happy to exchange benefits with them for intelligence. Therefore, Joan of Arc has secretly established an intelligence system, and these things are discovered by the beggars who usually wander around at the foot of the city walls.

"Is there a research base nearby?" Joan of Arc looked around.

“We’ve already searched and found nothing. We’ve also mobilized our people to search Asgard, and we’ve found this pink crystal in several places.”

"Why is that?" Joan of Arc frowned.

She knew that if she asked her teacher, she could probably get the answer. Her teacher was one of the people in charge of Project Catfish, but she had a plan in her heart that made her heart pound. She didn't want her teacher to know about it for the time being, so she didn't plan to tell her.

Joan of Arc carefully recalled the events related to Project Catfish. She remembered her teacher saying that Project Catfish had not made much progress, and with the start of the war, he had many tasks in Asgard. Project Catfish was gradually no longer under his responsibility and went underground. Because they could not create a self-destructing army, it seemed that they had changed their research direction.